Bula! My name is Tessa, principal at COLORS. While I am originally from the Philippines, Fiji has been my home for nearly ten years.

I have been in the education sector for over a decade. I have a lot of experience teaching English as a Second or Other Language to foreign nationals in the Philippines and Fiji. I have also spent seven years in primary and secondary school classroom education – also in the Philippines and Fiji – teaching Reading and Literature, English, Social Science, Visual Arts, and Drama.

In addition to teaching, I have a decade of experience in training and management. I have been a training manager, branch development manager, and senior consultant in various industries including retail, human resources, and insurance. In all these areas, I have been involved in customer service, organization development, marketing, and people management, among others.

I believe that principal should be equipped with skills not only for the design and implementation of programmes, but also for the professional and personal development of the people within the organization: students, teachers and the principal themselves.

I firmly believe that no administrator knows everything necessary for the efficient running of an establishment. We all grow by learning from each other through collaboration. We enrich each other’s experiences through meaningful academic and social interactions, and broaden perspectives by sharing and taking part in each other’s culture. Career advancement only happens as a consequence of serving the people we are accountable for, all in an environment that motivates and inspires both students and staff to achieve their objectives.

Having an extensive background in sectors outside of education, one of the greatest pleasures I have had as a teacher has been using the many skills – from customer service to training, organization development to classroom teaching – acquired from past experiences to reach out to co-teachers and students.

It is precisely this background in other industries that enables me to practise my teaching philosophy. I have always believed that relevant learning and practical application only occur when the curriculum constructs its programmes around the context of real-world situations, using real-world themes to establish connections between what has been learned in the classroom and what takes place in society. These learning experiences should occur both inside and outside study halls, with lessons gathered from the textbooks, as well as other resources. This includes drawing from various other disciplines and outlooks in order to bring the English language to life.

With that approach to teaching, it is absolutely necessary that, as teachers, we are keenly aware of the needs of the students and the nature of the society in which they participate. Student and community feedback forms an integral part of the design, development and implementation of programmes. We encourage students to persist in their curiosity and engage in meaningful contact with the people they meet and interact with in the community. Teachers are, therefore, guides rather than instructors who are supposed to “know everything”. It is our responsibility to ensure that students achieve what they have come to Fiji for, and help them become significant contributors to the global community.

Finally, we all know that social awareness builds character. Schools accomplish more when they give back to the community. COLORS will collaborate with other organizations in the wider Fijian community as students and teachers build relationships with other establishments and institutions. In this way, we can make an impact on the society, deepening our students’ understanding of the larger world community and expanding their horizons through global learning experiences.

Vinaka vakalevu, and we hope to give you a very warm welcome to the Fiji Islands very soon!